Drip tray inset



Dec. 14, 1954 Filed July 14, 1951 E. M. MARKS DRIP TRAY INSERT a sheeis-sheet 1 .I III awz'n Marks MC) Ma ty Dec. 14, 1954 E. M. MARKS DRIP TRAY INSERT 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed July 14, 1951 wwfww mm SW NW Q .m E

6 uu j Mm NW n I -I N Unite States Patent O DRIP TRAY INSERT Application July 14, 1951, Serial N0. 236,815

4 Claims. (c1. 62-403) This invention relates to refrigeration apparatus, but itis concerned more particularly with drip trays used for the collection and removal of condensate that drips from the'evaporator cooling unit of a household refrigerator during defrosting thereof.

In'the conventional modern domestic refrigerator defrosting of the evaporator is frequently accomplished by the application of external heat thereto fora short period of time. In this way the temperature of the food storage compartment does not rise appreciably and consequently no damage is done to the food stored therein. During this relatively short period of time a considerable amount of moisture drips off the evaporator cooling unit and some means must be provided to dispose of it. Usually thewater is drained to a pan or container where it may later be evaporated by well-known means, or the container may be completely removed and the water otherwise disposed of. Because of the high temperature of the. defrost heater and because ofthe short period of time that such heat is applied a great deal of the frost accumulated on the evaporator has a tendency, as soon as the bond between it and the metal of the evaporator has been broken,to drop off, because of the weight thereof, in chunks or pieces of solid matter which must be further melted before it will drain as a liquid. Ordinarily when these pieces drop into the drip tray the melting process is slowed down because the temperature of the tray is substantially the same low temperature asthe remainder of the food storage compartment. Thus it will be appreciated that the problem of disposing of the condensate is considerably aggravated because of the fact-that it is removed from the evaporator cooling unit so rapidly that it has nothad an opportunity to return completely to the liquid state.

It has been found that heating the collector pan or drip tray will provide the additionalheat necessary to rapidly. reduce such frost accumulations to the liquid state and that such can be accomplished without any harmful effects on the food being stored in the food storage compartment of the refrigerator. Accordingly it is theprincipal object of this invention to provide a drip tray havingimproved means for effecting heat transfer between a refrigerator evaporator and the tray when said tray is positioned beneath said evaporator to collect condensate during the defrosting thereof.

Another object is to provide an improved drip tray unit of the combination type, adaptable for slidable positioning beneath a refrigerator evaporator to catch condensate dripping therefrom, which includes a unitary tray assembly arranged for simultaneouslycollecting condensate, transferring heat thereto from the evaporator and operating as a partial baffle disposed between a refrigerator food storage compartment and its associated evaporator cooling unit.,

A further object is to provide a novel drip tray assembly adaptable for slidable positioning in close proximity and directly beneath a refrigerator evaporator for catching, collecting and distributing condensate dripping therefrom.

A still further object is to provide a drip tray having a removable insert-like top member that may be positioned in heat exchange relation with a refrigerator evaporator beneath which the tray is disposed.

A yet still further object is to provide a drip tray having. a removable insert-like top member that may be resiliently retained in heat-exchange relation with defrost- 2,696,716 Patented Dec. 14, 1954- ice ing heater. coils disposed on the lower outer surface of a refrigerator evaporator.

Another important object is to provide a shallow drip tray with an insulated bottom therein that is slidably mounted on opposed inner side walls of a refrigerator cabinet and which is adapted for positioning directly beneath and in close proximity to a refrigerator evaporator for collecting condensate dripping therefrom.

A further important object is to provide a shallow nonmetallic drip tray with a metallic insert-like top member resiliently positioned therewithin and which is adapted for positioning in heat-exchange relation with a refrigerator evaporator.

The foregoing and other objects and features of the invention will become apparent as the disclosure is more fully made in the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the invention as illustrated in the accompanying sheets of drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a front plan view, with cabinet and evaporator access doors removed, showing the application of the present invention to a domestic refrigerator.

Fig. 2 is a side view of the upper portion of a refrigerator cabinet wherein the walls have been shown in section while the evaporator cooling unit, the electric heater defrosting coils and the improved drip tray incorporated therein are shown in elevation.

Fig. 3 is a side view of the upper portion of a refrigerator cabinet, similar to Fig. 2 except that no electric heater defrost coils are shown and the improved drip tray directly contacts the bottom of the evaporator.

Fig. 4 is a section of the improved drip tray of the present invention taken on line 44 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a section of the drip tray taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a fragmenetary plan view of one of the resilient positioning members for the insert-like top member.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary section of the resilient positioning member shown also in Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a perspective of the insert-like top element of the improved drip tray.

By referring to the drawings it will be noted that a preferred embodiment of the present invention has been illustrated as associated with a domestic or household refrigerator. A conventional refrigerator cabinet 10 includes the customary outer container or liner 11 which is separated by heat insulating material 12 from an inner liner 13, in turn, fashioned to provide a food storage compartment 14. Said cabinet may be provided with a hingedly supported front-opening access door indicated generally by the numeral 14a. In the upper portion of said compartment is an evaporator cooling unit, indicated generally by the numeral 15, which may, if desired, be provided with an access door or closure member 16 hingedly affixed thereto. The evaporator is generally suspendedly mounted, by suitable conventional means, not shown, from the upper portion of the inner liner 13, and operatively connected by conduit lines with the remainder of the refrigeration apparatus, all as is well understood in the art. Since the details of this apparatus are not pertinent to the instant invention no illustration has been made of its specificfeatures and further description thereof is believed unnecessary.

The refrigerator cabinet selected for illustration, Figs. 1 and 2, in connection with a preferred embodiment of the present invention is one wherein conventional metallic-covered electric heater coil units, represented generally by the numeral 17, have been utilized for supplying the external heat required in defrosting operations. Such coils generally are affixed by suitable means to the outer bottom surface of the evaporator and are usually energized at predetermined intervals from an outside source frigerator of this character the refrigerant is heated, for

defrosting purposes, elsewhere in the system and conducted to the evaporator in a heated state, thus no external heater coils need be afiixed to the evaporator. It should be understood, however, that the proposed invention is equally applicable to refrigerators of this character and no other limitation should be placed thereon.

The improved drip tray unit envisaged by the present invention, and as represented generally by the numeral 18, includes a shallow pan or collector 19 having an insert-like top member 20 that is removably insertable therewithin. The shallow pan 19 is fashioned with upstanding side walls 21, front wall 22, rear wall 23 and a floor or bottom wall 24. An opening 25 in said floor serves a purpose which will be better understood later. As noted in the drawings the pan 19 is represented as having a double bottom with heat insulating material 26 therebetween. While any suitable arrangement may be used to provide such a baffie-like wall the preferred arrangement illustrated includes a secondary or auxiliary panel member fashioned to resemble a very shallow pan having a floor or bottom 27 with an opening 28 therein, and turned over flange portions 29 that extend along the marginal edges of said floor and around said opening. Said secondary bottom member 27 is adapted for positioning against the lower surface of the floor or bottom 24, of the pan 1'9, and for afiixment thereto by suitable conventional means. It will be understood, of course, that when said two bottoms are juxtaposed the openings 25 and 23, in the respective bottom members, will be registered and in vertical alignment, and that the bottom panel 27 will be spaced from the fioor 24 a distance substantially equal to the heighth of the flange portions 29.

Longitudinally extending bracket members 30, fixedly secured by conventional means to the opposed side walls of the inner liner 13, are provided for slidably mounting said tray in the food storage compartment 14 of the cabinet 10, while a depending flange 31 on the-front wall of the pan 19 may be provided for decorative purposes as well as for use as a handle when sliding the drip tray unit into and out of said cabinet.

Both the shallow pan 19 and its auxiliary or secondary bottom member 27 are fashioned from non-metallic materials, and, preferably, from one of the well-known plastics suitable for such purposes.

The insert-like top member 20 is fabricated, preferably, from a metallic material having good heat con ducting properties, and is fashioned with a primary floor panel 32 that is inwardly sloped from all directions to a low drainage point adjacent the rear edge thereof, and with horizontally extending flanges 33 which depend from the opposite side edges of said panel. The forward marginal edge of the panel 32 is upwardlycurved as indi cated at 34, while the rear marginal edge is bent upwardly as shown at 35 and a spout or drain outlet channel 36 leads outwardly from said rear edge at a point adjacent the low drainage'point of said panel.

A pair of spaced-apartlongitudinal ridge-like portions '37 project or rise out of the center of the panel 32, as shown in the attached drawings, and a channel 38 between said ridges is sloped to drain'toward thelow drainage point proximate the rear edge of said panel. Although any suitable means may be used to fabricate ridges of this character, it has been found they may readily be fashioned simply by embossing or pressing out the metal of the panel member 32. The upper or top'surface 39 of said ridges is fashioned so as to lie-in a plane which will be substantially horizontal after the insert has been positioned within its associated pan like collector 19.

In order to resiliently position said insert in the pan 19 leaf-like spring members are secured to the lower surface of the depending flanges 33 of said insert. Each spring, fashioned preferably from some suitable-springsteel or equivalent material, consists of a pre-shaped longitudinal leaf member 49 having a centering button-like projection 41 and a clip-like fastener 42 formed therewith. The positioning projection 41. as well as the fastening clip 42 are both formed, preferably, as portions punched out of the metal of the spring leaf 40 in a fashion that is well understood in the fastening'arts. Openings 43 and 4-4 longitudinally spaced in flange 33 are provided to cooperate respectively with the button 41 and clip fastener 42 for fixedly positioning said spring to the flange. It is proposed to provide a spring under each ofthe four corners of said insert; thus four such springs will beprovided and, of course, there will be a set of the openings'43 and 44 formed proximate eachend of said flange members 33. The springs 'as thus disposed will tend to force the insert 20 away from the pan 19 and against the underneath side of an evaporator when the drip tray is positioned therebeneath.

By pressing the top ridge surface 39, of the insert 20, tightly against the underneath surface of the evaporator or against the heater coils 17 affixed thereto the two are maintained in good thermal relation and a metallic heat conducting path is provided between said evaporator and the insert of the tray. When so maintained the temperature of the insert will generally follow that of the exterior of the evaporator; hence when the evaporator is heated, as, for instance, during a defrosting operation, the tray insert likewise will be heated and any solid accumulations of frost dripping off the evaporator will rapidly melt upon coming in contact with the heated floor of the insert.

The drip tray assembly 18 is adapted for mounting beneath the evaporator merely by sliding the unit in between the longitudinally extending braekets 30 oppositely disposed on the inner side walls of the refrigerator cabinet. When so positioned the drain outlet spout 36 rests immediately over .a receptacle-like cup 45 affixed to the end of a discharge pipe 4;) that passes through the rear wall of the cabinet to a collector or disposing means, not shown. Hence, moisture collected in the insert portion of the drip tray may drain immediately into the discharge conduit 46 from whence it may be disposed of in suitable manner. At times, however, it may be desirable to use the drip tray unit primarily as an air circulation bathe in which case the insert member 20 is removed and a cork or plug of some character inserted in the opening 25 to avoid draining moisture into the food compartment. On the other hand a bottle or other container may be positioned beneath said opening for collecting any overflow of moisture in excess of what can be drained out through the spout 36 and conduit 46, or for collecting drippings off the evaporator when the drip tray is used without the insert therein.

From the foregoing ,it should now be apparent that a novel drip tray assembly has been shown and described, and it is to be understood that changes may be made in the construction without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope thereof as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. In a mechanical refrigerator, in combination: a cabinet defining a main food storage compartment maintained at non-freezing temperature; an evaporator cooling unit exposed to said compartment; a shallow nonmetallic pan member having a double-walled bottom with heat insulation therebetween and being slidably mounted on the walls of said cabinet below said evap orator cooling unit; a metallic insert-like top cover member removably positioned within said pan; said insert being fashioned with a floor portion inclined from alldirections to a low point proximate the center of the rear edge thereof, and having a drain spout projecting outwardly and downwardly from said low point; said insert having a ridge-like projection extending upwardly from the floor portion thereof substantially to the lower surface of the evaporator cooling unit; and resilient means interposed between said insert and said pan whereby the ridge of said insert is maintained in a heat exchange relatron with the lower portion of said evaporator cooling unit.

2. In a mechanical refrigerator, in combination: a cabinetdefining a main food storage compartment maintained, at, nonrfreezing temperature; an evaporator cooiing unit exposed to saidcompartment; a defroster heating element mounted against the lower outersurface of said evaporator cooling unit and disposed so that said element is in intimate physical contact throughout substantially its entire length with said surface whereby an effective heat exchange relation is maintained between said element and said surface throughout the length of said element; a shallow non-metallic pan member having a double-walled bottom with heat insulation therebetween and being slidably mounted on the walls of said cabinet below said evaporator coolingunit; a metallic insert-like top covermember removably disposed withinsaid pan; said insert being fashioned with a floor portion that slopes from. all directions to a low drainage point proximate the center ofthe rear edge thereof, and having a drain spout afiixed thereto that projects outwar-dly and slightly downwardly from saidlow-drainage point; said insert being further fashioned with at least one ridge-like projection that extends upwardly from the floor thereof substantially to the lower outer surface of the evaporator cooling unit; and resilient means di-sposedrbetween said insert and said pan whereby the ridge portion of said insert is maintained in good heat exchange relation with said evaporator cooling unit.

3. In a mechanical refrigerator, in combination: a cabinet defining a main food storage compartment maintained at non-freezing temperature; an evaporator cooling unit exposed to said compartment; a tray slidably mounted on the walls of said cabinet below said evaporator cooling unit; said tray including a non-metallic, primary, shallow pan-like container, and a secondary non-metallic shallow pan aflixed along marginal flanges thereof to the outer bottom surface of said primary pan, and having heat insulation disposed between whereby the two pans as disposed provide a double-walled structure having heat insulation therebetween; a metallic insert-like member removably positioned within said tray; said insert being fashioned with a floor portion that slopes from all directions to a low drainage point proximate the center of the rear edge thereof with a drain spout aflixed thereto that projects outwardly and slightly downwardly from said low point, and having horizontally extending flanges that depend from opposite side edges of said floor portion for spacing said floor portion from the floor of said tray; said insert being further provided with a ridge-like projection extending upwardly from the floor portion thereof substantially to the lower surface of the evaporator cooling unit with the upper surface of said projection disposed in a horizontal plane; and resilient means interposed between the depending flanges of said insert and said tray whereby the ridge projection of said insert is maintained in a heat exchange relation with the lower portion of said evaporator cooling unit.

4. In a mechanical refrigerator, in combination: a cabinet having side walls defining a main food storage compartment maintained at non-freezing temperature; an evaporator cooling unit exposed to said compartment; moisture collecting means disposed beneath evaporator collecting unit; said moisture cooling means including a non-metallic pan having a double walled bottom and slidably mounted on the side walls of the cabinet, and a metallic insert-like top cover member removably positioned within said pan and provided with a ridge-like projection that is disposed so as to parallel said side walls and which extends upwardly from one face of the insert substantially to the lower surface of the evaporator cooling unit; and resilient means interposed between said insert-like cover member and said pan whereby the ridgelike projection of said insert member is maintained in good heat exchange relation with said evaporator cooling unit.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,091,901 Allen Aug. 31, 1937 2,450,305 Shoemaker Sept. 28, 1948 2,510,758 Rundel June 6, 1950 2,526,032 La Por-te Oct. 17, 1950 2,592,394 Cochran Apr. 8, 1952 2,604,762 Quinn July 29, 1952 

